Hot Springs unites for heartwarming Christmas celebration amid Hurricane Helene recovery

This Christmas is a challenging one for communities still recovering from Hurricane Helene in western North Carolina.

As recovery continues, people across the state are stepping up to keep the spirit alive. 

On a street that looks like a ghost town in downtown Hot Springs, one storefront will catch your eye.

The owners of Iron Horse Station, Karen Howard-Goss and Gary Goss, said they organized an event to bring people together to celebrate the holiday.

“This is exactly the idea I had in my head, and I am so grateful to all the people who made it work,” Howard-Goss said.

Western North Carolinians came together for a hot meal, music, crafts and gifts.

“It was nice that [parents] could go in and actually shop for gifts. Nothing wrong with a handout but to be able to actually go in and shop for what they knew their child would want and appreciate,” she said. 

Jeff Varner helped ensure that 7,000 donated gifts from across the state reached the hands of little ones during the event.

“It showed us that a little bit of effort can do a whole lot of good. The way people were smiling and laughing, they were telling us that they forgot the flood for the day,” Varner said.

If you stared at the outside of the shop, you might not know this area was one of the hardest hit, but those who have been here since the beginning know what it’s been like.

Heath Gore is one of the people who has helped since the beginning. 

“I’ve done search and recovery, supply distribution, demolition, everything. If somebody needs it, I am there,” Gore said.

Now, he’s got a new task, helping make sure the Christmas spirit is kept alive.

“This is one of my favorite towns. I have helped a lot of people since I’ve been here. This town has been supporting us as much as we’ve been supporting them,” Gore said.

Everyone agreed that it was a day that succeeded expectations

“I had several people tell me ‘This day brought me out of my depression,’ which really just did everything for me,” Varner said.

The people who made it happen are just as grateful as those who received Christmas cheer.

“Never did I think it was going to be this big,” Howard-Goss said. “We feel so fortunate to live in a town that has gotten so much support,” he said.